To be or not to be involved… That’s the debate.

An Amnesty International Delegation of young people attending the "Jovenes Rumbo a Cairo + 20" Uruguay, 2013

Hello everyone, Latin America as you might know is a very violent
region and delinquency is the signature to this sad issue,
mafias, gangs, fiscal paradises, corruption, kidnapping, raping
and forced evictions continue to frighten society towards placing
new topics or fighting the ones that represent a high cost to
development and security; however, great efforts are being made
and huge change has already taken place. For example, the
Peruvian fire-fighters department recently started putting into
practice a device for animal rescue, also in Bogota, Colombia the
SantaMaría Bullring was turned into a cultural place where
district administration sponsors community activities, on the
other hand Miss Bachelet, the current president of Chile has
shown a historic political disposition to improve sexual and
reproductive healthcare and good news continue to come along as
the region leaders look for higher prevention standards and
inclusive ways to consolidate democracy.

One of the topics that has been gradually made ​​visible in the
region is the youth participation in terms of decision making and
public policy designing. This is noticeable because as years have
gone by, more funds have been allocated to youth led
organizations. More organs of state have engaged in youth
oriented initiatives and even political parties have widen their
activities to give the youngest generations chances to take
action in the topics they care. So there is a certain level of
consensus on the “youth” topic, which has enabled devices to
happen and grow through time giving more “scenario” to both
children and adolescents in society, nevertheless among the
discussions that this issue has generated there´s one that causes
the biggest rivalry: should young people get involved in the
decision making process that generates the policies made for
them? Now, what are the sides of this debate? Ideas are
conflicting. While some people consider that the “youth” topic
threatens authority and “draws” an uncertain future. Others drive
the conversation to the innovative opportunities that younger
people can show in order to raise healthier and happier
generations.

The first point of view I might explain it with a phrase my
primary school teachers taught me. “When adults talk children
remain quiet, pay attention and don’t interrupt”. However we
didn’t get that kind of respect. People who stand contrary to
including the younger in decision making process validate their
speech by explaining that the less experience one has in life the
less capable someone is to study objectively and issue and take
wise choices driven by reflection. Another argument points that
young people are more likely to follow “ideals”. They don’t fully
understand which might lead them to talk about thing they don’t
really know, in other words, for some people the youngest
generations are second class citizens.

On the other side there are people who believe that the more
space younger generations have to involve in the topics they are
directly affected by, such as education. The more chances a
country gets to solidify its democracy with innovative ideas that
inspire and drive real change, for them, children and adolescents
embody passion for humanitarian causes and act within the
“purity” of their minds, minds that have not been “stained” with
consumerism – among other “evils”- yet, and even for the more
“rebel” ones listening people based on the simple fact that they
have things to say is a priority because is expresses a community
sense and democratic values. Also these people argue that there
is no better way to teach than through the example, so, people
who are respectful of other´s opinion got that lesson from
practicing it not from reading (it’s a saying). Another argument
from this side is that by considering issues that the youngest
people have a country has more opportunities to face an issue
“before it happens”, meaning that instead of responding a problem
a truly preventive way to face them is to study those problems in
their early stages. When they happen to the most in touch with
society people.. the younger people.

As you might imagine this discussion is not a “life or death” one
but it certainly generates huge controversy among the contrary
sides and its definitely a national issue in the Latin American
countries. Now, what can you(th) do about it? Participate with
the current established mechanism! Sadly depoliticized people
allow others take decisions for them, even if their necessities
and priorities are completely different, which leads to , for
instance protecting pharmaceutics more than patients but hey! The
world changes as a consequence of the way we interact with it ,
sometimes we have to “swim against the river flow” until the
river flow goes a little more along with our own rhythm, so if in
your country YOU can participate and speak up about the issues
you care about, do it!, if you can strengthen any emergent young
organization just by belonging to it do it too!, I fully
encourage you to, because as I´m guessing you noticed, I´m 100%
pro youth. I am a young person and throughout my short life, I
have seen enough to understand that children and young people not
only need, but deserve opportunities to drive positive change in
society. In fact, the 2014 Human Development report (UNDP)
explains that young people are among the vulnerable spheres of
society and urges governments to have ambitious policies that
look after the youngest interests.